Hello from Maybelle Mama,Well I survived shearing for another year and it went well. Thank goodness for Darcy and Todd, they took care of everything in the barn while I hid in the house and for a little while put a few fleeces in bags. I will weigh them all tomorrow, because today is just tooo beautiful and also its too hot to work up at the barn. I'm sort of in a dishrag mode today, haven't accomplished a whole heck of alot. I did set up a roll of electric net chicken fencing in Darcy's back yard and let the sheep in there. Oh yes, exciting news, Arly is going to have lamb/lambs in mid-May and I'm thrilled. I so hope she can have at least one little ewe to be with her. We have chosen the letter "P" for lamb names this year so if you want to send in a suggestion, please do so. My two little Finn lambs that will come to the farm in June are named Pansy and Peter Pan, they were named by Rowan. O.K. now back to today. I put Arly,Tinka and Juliette out in the portable first but they could only stay out about 10-15 minutes because the sun is so hot and Tinka was starting to look a little pink. The poor white sheep really can sunburn easily. I put Tinka,Arly and Juliette back in the barn and let out another group, they were out just a few minutes and between the heat from the sun and the black flies........WHEEEE they were back in the barn. I have my Geriatric group in the middle stall of the barn. Last night Tally,Willow and Maura all got buffered aspirin and they will again today, they were very lame. I'm sure from being wrestled around makes them as lame as if I rolled down the hill in a wooden barrel! I also gave Java buffered aspirin this morning because she is limping very badly. I am making my three pastures over by the garage my geriatric pastures and I'm going to put up a sign "EWE TOO OLD!" I shouldn't joke around, I'll be in there with them before long! Darcy called me out to the barn when they sheared Juliette because she has such a beautiful fleece. She is a coopworth/shetland cross and its her lambswool this year. Its going to be hidden in my "secret stash".......sparkly charcoal gray and just the most amazing color. I have never had a fleece like this and I now know that I will breed both Tinka and Juliette this coming fall. Oh yes, my big old Tinka (Coopworth) had a 16.5 lb fleece! Well, I guess I will sign off now and go read for a little while. I need a little rest and I'm dyeing some wool to make colored sheep for the Jamaica Fiber Festival. So long from Maybelle MaMa.